FILM

FILMFEST DC

Now in its 33rd year, the Washington, DC International Film Festival presents 80 films from 45 countries over a span of 11 days beginning this Thursday, April 25, with Ladies in Black, an Australian comedy-drama about a group of department store employees in Sydney at the dawn of Australia’s cultural awakening and women’s liberation in 1959, screening at AMC Mazza Gallerie (5300 Wisconsin Ave. NW). The lineup this year features the usual assortment of thrillers, comedies, dramas, and shorts, plus documentaries grouped into themes, such as “Foodflix” and Michelin Stars: Tales from the Kitchen, about the mythical Michelin Guide, screening Sunday, April 28, at 5:30 p.m., and Tuesday, April 30, at 6 p.m., at Landmark’s E Street Cinema (555 11th St. NW), as well as The Best Sommelier in the World, about the prestigious World Sommelier Competition, screening Wednesday, May 1, at 6 p.m., at E Street, and Thursday, May 2, at 6 p.m., at Mazza Gallerie. In the Music category, there’s Andrew Slater’s documentary Echo in the Canyon, tracing L.A.’s 1960s folk rock explosion, with a post-screening concert featuring Jakob Dylan, Cat Power, and Jade Castrinos, at the Lincoln Theatre (1215 U St. NW). And the Justice Matters category features range from Rafiki, an LGBTQ drama set (and banned) in Kenya, screening Friday, April 26, at 8:45 p.m., and Thursday, May 2, at 8:30 p.m., at E Street, to Dear Walmart, which showcases those workers at America’s largest private employer who are fighting back against unfair labor practices, screening Friday, May 3, at 8:30 p.m., and Saturday, May 4, at 4:15 p.m., at E Street. Another highlight is the world premiere of DC Noir, a crime anthology series by George Pelecanos and adapted from his acclaimed short stories, screening Saturday, May 4, at 8:30 p.m., at Mazza Gallerie. Call 202-234-FILM or visit www.filmfestdc.org for a full schedule and more information.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

Next up in the popular Capital Classics series at Landmark’s West End Cinema comes the 1940 original big screen adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel about 19th-century English social mores. Greer Garson portrays Elizabeth Bennet as the girl who Laurence Olivier, as the wealthy Mr. Darcy, eventually pursues to be his wife. TV Guide praised the film as “an unusually successful adaptation of Jane Austen’s most famous novel,” further calling Garson’s Elizabeth “an Austen heroine incarnate.” Wednesday, May 1, at 1:30, 4:30, and 7:30 p.m. 2301 M St. NW. Happy hour from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $12.50. Call 202-534-1907 or visit www.landmarktheatres.com.

RED JOAN

Judi Dench stars as Joan Stanley, a widow living out a quiet retirement in the suburbs when the British Secret Service suddenly charge her with providing classified scientific information — including details on the building of the atomic bomb — to the Soviet government for decades. As the interrogation gets underway, Joan relives the dramatic events that shaped her life and her beliefs. Directed by Trevor Nunn, the film is inspired by real-life KGB informant Melita Norwood. Opens Friday, April 26. Area theaters. Visit www.fandango.com.

THE HUMP! FILM FESTIVAL

Sex advice columnist Dan Savage offers up a sex-positive, rough-around-the-edges assortment of homemade pornography — gay, straight, fetish, you name it. “Hump!” is less erotic than it is avant garde. While definitely not soft-core, it’s less about titillation than breaking down sexual barriers. Savage has curated the annual festival since 2005, with each year bringing a new batch of shorts, each clocking in at less than five minutes, featuring amateurs revelling in sexual expression. Thursday, April 25. Doors at 7:30 p.m. Also Friday, April 26, and Saturday, April 27. Doors at 7 and 9:30 p.m. Black Cat Mainstage, 1811 14th St. NW. Tickets are $25. Call 202-667-4490 or visit www.humpfilmfest.com.

STAGE

BECKETT TRIO, PART 2
PINTER REP

Short plays by Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter — two theater giants and Nobel Laureates — are presented in repertory on alternate evenings by Scena Theatre and directed by the company’s Robert McNamara. Beckett Trio, Part 2 features the Irish architect of absurdism’s black comedy-rich Ohio Impromptu, Come and Go, and Catastrophe, with a six-person cast including Buck O’Leary, Kim Curtis, and Jen Bevarelli. Pinter Rep, meanwhile, finds a nine-person cast, including Christopher Henley, Irina Koval, Karin Rosnizeck, and Robert Sheire, bringing to life a political trio “portraying terror and its consequences” from the legendary British playwright: One for the Road, Mountain Language, and The New World Order. To May 5. Lab II in the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $14 to $45. Call 202-399-7993 or visit www.scenatheatre.org.

CLOTHES FOR A SUMMER HOTEL

The LGBTQ-focused Rainbow Theatre Project continues its sixth season with an evocative “ghost play” by Tennessee Williams focused on the tumultuous marriage and creative lives of Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald. The couple revisits their youth in a haunting and poetic theatrical tale that blurs past and present and includes ghosts of characters who influenced the two, including Ernest Hemingway. Greg Stevens directs a production featuring Sara Barker as Zelda, Aidan Hughes as Scott, and Matty Griffiths as Ernest leading an eight-person cast. Closes Sunday, April 28. District of Columbia Arts Center, 2438 18th St. NW. Tickets are $35. Call 202-462-7833 or visit www.rainbowtheatreproject.org.

GRAND HOTEL THE MUSICAL

Eric Schaeffer directs one of his favorite musicals, a multiple Tony-winning work from 1989 with a book by Luther Davis and music and lyrics by Robert Wright, George Forrest, and Maury Yeston. Based on the 1929 novel by Vicki Baum that also spawned two World War II-era movies, Grand Hotel The Musical is set in a lavish hotel in Weimar Republic Berlin — and staged in such a way at Signature Theatre that audiences will feel like they are sitting in the hotel’s lobby. A fading ballerina, a destitute baron, a wannabe starlet, and an ailing bookkeeper are just a handful of the many characters who come and go in the show, with Signature stars Bobby Smith and Natascia Diaz leading a large cast also featuring other Signature veterans including Nicki Elledge, Kevin McAllister, Crystal Mosser, and Lawrence Redmond. Jon Kalbfleisch leads the orchestra while Kelly Crandall D’Amboise helms the choreography. In previews. To May 19. MAX Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Call 703-820-9771 or visit www.sigtheatre.org.

INTO THE WOODS

★★★★

Somebody’s hauled a fabulous eight-piece orchestra into the enchanted forest of Ford’s Theatre’s production of Into the Woods, and the brilliant, Tony-winning score, conducted by music director William Yanesh, sounds great. The mostly sharp delivery of director Peter Flynn’s talented cast can keep the listener hanging on every word of Stephen Sondheim’s winding lines. These are treacherous woods, less an idyll for peaceful strolls to grandma’s house than a fateful crossroads of change. Milagro Ponce de León’s forest set, rippling layers of flattish trees and vines, definitely carries through Sondheim and frequent book writer James Lapine’s image of the woods as a foreboding place and time, a field of dark unknowing. Flynn and company do a marvelous job delineating every major and minor character in this vast storybook population of kings, commoners, cows and chickens — as derived from fairy tales — even with some actors performing several roles. Flynn’s absorbing staging marches with gusto into the second act, which examines, or pokes holes in, the contentment that comes after Happily Ever After. But the show hits a few roadblocks. The pace slackens, and the fire wanes, until a hardy finish. As a whole, Ford’s production beautifully conveys the weight and lightness of Sondheim and Lapine’s journey into the woods, where characters forced to coerce, deceive, or steal from strangers can find whatever they believe might bring them happiness. To May 22. 511 10th St. NW. Tickets are $20 to $83. Call 888-616-0270 or visit www.fords.org. (André Hereford)

JUNK

A junk bond trader prepares a hostile takeover of a family-owned manufacturing company in this bracing, 1980s-inspired new work from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar (Disgraced). Jackie Maxwell directs the Arena Stage production starring Thomas Keegan leading a 17-person cast featuring a number of local stage heavyweights, including Edward Gero, Michael Russotto, Lise Bruneau, and Michael Glenn. To May 5. Fichandler Stage in the Mead Center for American Theater, 1101 6th St. SW. Call 202-488-3300 or visit www.arenastage.org.

OSLO

In 1993, a husband-and-wife Norwegian duo assemble a motley band of would-be diplomats from the Middle East to attempt the unimaginable: negotiate peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Round House Theatre’s Ryan Rilette directs J. T. Rogers’ thrilling nail-biter, based on the true events surrounding the Oslo Peace Accords, with John Austin and Susannah Morgan Eig leading a strong 15-member cast featuring a number of local stage heavyweights, including Maboud Ebrahimzadeh, Kimberly Gilbert, Alexander Strain, and Erin Weaver. The production is presented at the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Lansburgh Theatre downtown while Round House renovates its Bethesda venue, with its box office transplanted as well. In previews. Runs to May 19. 450 7th St. NW. Call 240-644-1100 or visit www.roundhousetheatre.org.

PINK MILK

Single Carrot Theatre, Baltimore’s adventurous, innovative, experiental professional company, offers another production of significant queer relevance, a play centered on the life of Alan Turing. Despite his achievements, the renowned codebreaker and father of the modern computer was persecuted for committing homosexual acts in his native U.K. in the decade after World War II, and sadly a decade before decriminalization could have helped avoid a tragic fate. In Pink Milk, Ariel Zetina, a Chicago-based Latinx trans female playwright and composer/DJ, weaves together electrifying music and surreal text to create a rich, strange fantasy about a genius who longed for connection in a world he couldn’t understand. Mohammad R. Suaidi leads a seven-person cast bringing to life a deeply human story of love, loss, creation, and destruction directed by queer theater artist Ben Kleymeyer. In previews, opens Saturday, April 27. To May 19. 2600 N Howard St. Tickets are $25 to $29, or $125 for opening night’s Pretty in Pink performance and post-show party with open bar and all-you-can-eat lite fare, live music, dance, and silent auction. Call 443-844-9253 or visit www.singlecarrot.com.

PLAY DATE

Six parents get their children together to play — but “this play is not for children,” the Best Medicine Rep Theatre stresses in bold. It’s also not about the children but about the naughty adults in the other room in this farce “laced with tequila and regret” and written by John Morogiello from an idea he concocted with Lori Boyd. Melissa B. Robinson directs the production starring Kira Burri and Evan Crump. To May 5. Lakeforest Mall, 701 Russell Ave., Gaithersburg. Tickets are $20 to $25. Visit www.bestmedicinerep.org.

THE DUPONT UNDER(WORLD): THE LOST & THE FOUND

Founded by Strother Gaines and nurtured at Capital Fringe, TBD Immersive — which stands for Tradition Be Damned — is hardly theater as usual. The company’s variation on devised, participatory theater centers the audience, with each attendee becoming an active participant, choosing their own way into and around the chief story, such that they ultimately become a co-creator of what results, building on the work of the mainstage performers and the company’s devising playwright Jenny Splitter, with additional assist from producing improvisation director Dana Malone Heiser. Next up from TBD is an intimate, hour-long guided experience through a series of interactive installations transforming the subterranean Dupont Underground into a passageway to the Underworld. A maximum of 10 patrons will explore at the same time, and they will journey from life to death or from death to life — depending on their assigned path, with no two journeys ever alike — exploring the wonder, pain, and beauty of the unknown along the way. To May 12. Dupont Underground, 1500 19th St. NW. Tickets are $35. visit www.tbdimmersive.com.

THE WHITE SNAKE

In Mary Zimmerman’s adaptation of the ancient Chinese legend, a snake spirit transforms itself into a woman in order to experience the human world, and in the process falls in love with a pharmacist’s assistant. Allison Arkell Stockman directs a production from her company Constellation Theatre that features live original music from multi-instrumentalist Tom Teasley and dulcimer virtuoso Chao Tian, plus a signature bold acting ensemble led by Eunice Bae, Momo Nakamura, and Jacob Yeh. In previews, opens Sunday, April 28. Runs to May 26. Source Theatre, 1835 14th St. NW. Tickets are $19 to $45. Call 202-204-7741 or visit www.constellationtheatre.org.

THE WHO’S TOMMY

Casey Cott, star of the CW’s Riverdale, takes on the title role in the Kennedy Center’s limited, semi-staged concert production of the musical tale penned by Pete Townshend in 1969 about his childhood and later struggles with fame as a founding member of the Who. Tony-winner Christian Borle (Peter and the Starcatcher) and Mandy Gonzalez (Hamilton) co-star as Tommy’s parents Captain Walker and Mrs. Walker in this Broadway Center Stage presentation directed and choreographed by Josh Rhodes (Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella). Offered as a 50th anniversary toast to the groundbreaking concept album and rock opera, the version on stage was adapted in 1992 through a collaboration between writer/director Des McAnuff and Townsend, with Townsend’s original music and lyrics embellished by additional music and lyrics by John Entwistle and Keith Moon. Manu Narayan, Kimberly Nichole, and Wesley Taylor are also featured in the Kennedy Center run. To April 29. Eisenhower Theater. Tickets are $69 to $219. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

MUSIC

BALTIMORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: AN AMERICAN IN PARIS

A “Movie with Orchestra” event, in which the classic 1951 film directed by Vincente “Liza’s Father” Minnelli and featuring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron is projected on screens overhead as Jack Everly leads the BSO in George Gershwin’s extraordinary film score, including the songbook standards “Embraceable You” and “I Got Rhythm.” Thursday, May 2, at 8 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Also Friday, May 3, and Saturday, May 4, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, May 5, at 3 p.m. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore. Tickets are $25 to $90. Call 410-783-8000 or visit www.bsomusic.org.

BLACK BELT EAGLE SCOUT

“A friend came up with Black Belt Eagle Scout, actually,” says singer-songwriter Katherine Paul, or KP. “I thought, that’s a really nice name. It’s a very fierce name.” The music that emanates from her twice masterly titled project is also pretty audacious, in a rather quiet, pensive way. The full-length debut Mother Of My Children showcases KP’s multivaried influences: from her upbringing in a musical family on the Swinomish Indian reservation in Washington state; to her love of the state’s homegrown riot grrl punk and grunge scenes; to her identity as an “Indigenous queer cis woman.” Much of the set focuses on a past relationship with a woman she thought she’d have kids with. “It’s a look into what emotions one goes through when you feel heartbreak, and when you feel grief,” she says, “and then when you try and find that part inside of you to heal and to process.” The 29-year-old is remarkably candid about her experiences throughout the reflective set — with standouts including the bristly grunge-esque rocker “Soft Stud,” where KP conveys angst over having an open relationship, and the title track, where she coos the phrase “without you” wistfully yet repeatedly, as if to hammer home the point. In concert, KP sings and plays guitar as part of a four-piece band working in tandem to make the songs sound “a little bit more full live.” Black Belt Eagle Scout also serves as the warm-up for young Australian folk-rock singer-songwriter Julia Jacklin. Tuesday, April 30. Doors at 7 p.m. Rock and Roll Hotel, 1353 H St. NE. Tickets are officially sold out, but available for $17 on resale sites including StubHub and VividSeats. Call 202-388-ROCK or visit www.rockandrollhoteldc.com. (Doug Rule)

CAPITAL JAZZ

A presentation at Strathmore that is part of a two-concert showcase of artists from the local jazz scene. The diverse lineup of jazz, soul, and funk artists is touted as “indisputable proof that the depth and breadth of locally grown D.C. jazz rivals the best in the world.” The Bumper Jacksons, Dave Kline Band, Veronneau, Cissa Paz, Alison Crockett, and Cristian Perez will all perform vibrant renditions and original compositions, transforming the Mansion into an intimate jazz club for the evening. The second concert in the series is presented Thursday, May 2, at 7:30 p.m. 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda. Tickets are $30. Call 301-581-5100 or visit www.strathmore.org.

CHARM CITY BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL

The Bridge, Deer Tick, Steep Canyon Rangers, Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen, and the Jeff Austin Band headline this 7th annual festival taking place the last weekend in April in the same large urban park that hosts the Baltimore Pride Festival. Three stages will be set up throughout Druid Hill Park, where a total of 20 acts spanning the bluegrass, folk, and Americana genres will perform individually as well as in countless impromptu jam sessions. The lineup naturally includes additional acts from the bluegrass-rich Mid-Atlantic region beyond Baltimore’s own The Bridge, including the Seldom Scene, 19th Street Band, and Charm City Junction. But festival-goers can’t live on music alone, and the food and drink highlights include a limited-release branded beer from Union Craft Brewery, a limited-release, festival-inspired ice cream flavor from the Charmery, plus offerings from popular Baltimore spots Bark BBQ, Deddle’s Mini Donuts, Vent Coffee Roasters, and Asian Taste, among others. Children 10 and under are free, and will be drawn to the festival’s kids activity area as well as petting zoo with animals from Irvine Nature Center. Friday, April 26, starting at 4 p.m., and Saturday, April 27, starting at 10 a.m. 3100 Swann Drive, Baltimore. Tickets are $30 for Friday-Only, $52 Saturday-Only, and $72 for a Two-Day Package. Visit www.charmcitybluegrass.com.

DAVEY YARBOROUGH CELEBRATES DUKE ELLINGTON’S 120TH BIRTHDAY

The Goethe-Institut Washington, in conjunction with the DC Public Library, presents a tribute to the preeminent Washington jazz legend as part of its free monthly Jazz In The Basement concert series. Yarborough, a D.C.-native known for establishing the internationally recognized Jazz Studies program at the prestigious Duke Ellington School for the Arts and also for founding and leading the Washington Jazz Arts Institute, will play the saxophone and the flute. Accompanying him for this concert, also co-sponsored by Blues Alley, and the DC Federation of Musicians, will be Jon Ozment on piano, Ephraim Woolfolk on bass, Greg Holloway on percussion, and Isaac Daniel on guitar. Sunday, April 28, at 2 p.m. German Cultural Center, 1990 K St. NW., Suite 3. Limited seats available on a first-come, first-seated basis. Call 202-289-1200 or visit www.goethe.de/washington.

GEORGETOWN CHORALE: 30TH ANNIVERSARY SPRING CONCERT

Founded in 1989 as the Georgetown Community Chorale affiliated with Georgetown University, this now independent, volunteer organization celebrates its pearl anniversary with a performance of Ernest Bloch’s Avodath Hakodesh (“Sacred Service”). Sung in Hebrew and English, Bloch’s work is considered among the most distinguished examples of Jewish choral music of the last century. In addition to the chorale’s 85 singers led by Richard Giarusso, the program features Cantor Asa Fradkin, baritone, of Congregation Beth El and the organization’s assistant director Andrew Jonathan Welch on piano. Proceeds from the concert go toward Yachad, a local charity working to preserve safe and affordable housing and to revitalize neighborhoods in the area by mobilizing financial resources and volunteers across faiths “to transform people and properties.” Saturday, April 27, at 8 p.m. Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. Tickets are $25, or $36 to $50 including donations to the Yachad fund. Call 202-832-3210 or visit www.georgetownchorale.org.

GIRLPOOL

The she-identified singing bassist Harmony Tividad and the they-identified singing guitarist Cleo Tucker — who come out as transgender last year — comprise Girlpool. The folk-punk duo churns out captivating, hard-to-classify dreamy lo-fi indie-rock — distinguished by incisive lyrics, soft textures, hushed harmonies, and soaring hooks. They tour as part of a five-piece band, with Hatchie and Too Free opening acts. Sunday, April 28. Doors at 7:30 p.m. Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. Tickets are $18 in advance, or $20 at the door. Call 202-667-4490 or visit www.blackcatdc.com.

IRON & WINE W/THE NSO

At this special NSO Pops concert, singer-songwriter Sam Beam celebrates the 15th anniversary of his indie-folk band’s album Our Endless Numbered Days by performing the intimate, cinematic work in its entirety in new symphonic arrangements by composer/conductor David Campbell. The one-time-only performance concludes with Beam performing a solo acoustic set. Tuesday, April 30, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $39 to $89. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

JOSHUA BELL, STEVEN ISSERLIS & JEREMY DENK

A trio of top-notch classical headliners team up three years after they collaborated on the critically acclaimed album For The Love of Brahms. Washington Performing Arts presents the violinist Bell, cellist Isserlis, and pianist Denk and a program expanding their ensemble repertoire to four masters of the 19th and 20th centuries: Mendelssohn with the Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor, Shostakovich and Piano Trio No. 2 in E Minor, Rachmaninoff’s Trio Élégiaque No. 1 in G Minor, and Ravel’s Piano Trio in A Minor. Wednesday, May 1, at 8 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $90 to $100. Call 301-581-5100 or visit www.strathmore.org.

KALI UCHIS & JORJA SMITH

A double-bill of new-school R&B from two Millennial starlets, the Northern Virginia-reared Uchis and the Jamaican-English Smith. Uchis, of Colombian descent, tours in support of Isolation, characterized by a savvy mix of R&B with reggaeton, funk, and bossa nova elements and praised by media outlets including NPR as “one of the most commanding and endlessly listenable pop statements to emerge” in 2018. Smith earned some acclaim of her own last year upon the release of her debut long player Lost & Found, which helped her land a nomination as Best New Artist at the Grammys. (The year before she was prominently featured on a couple of tracks from Drake’s mixtape More Life.) Surely, the two will come together on stage to perform “Tyrant,” their duet described as a “post-apocalyptic love song” from Uchis’s bilingual debut, when they kick off their co-headlining tour next weekend with what is essentially a hometown show for Uchis. Sunday, April 28. Doors at 6:30 p.m. The Anthem, 901 Wharf St. SW. Tickets are $45 to $75. Call 202-888-0020 or visit www.theanthemdc.com.

LYNDA CARTER

The original Wonder Woman has developed a second career as a cabaret/jazz singer in recent years, and appearing at the Kennedy Center has become an annual pilgrimage of sorts. “It’s a thrill to come back every year,” she tells Metro Weekly. “There’s a mix of old material and new material.” Much of the new material in “This Life: My Music, My Story” hails from her most recent album, 2018’s Red Rock N’ Blues. Carter will be accompanied by her band for a dynamic, sexy, 90-minute cabaret also including classic standards in the jazz, country, and blues genres. Sunday, April 28, at 7:30 p.m. Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. Tickets are $65 to $120. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC SINGERS: SPRING CONCERT

Stan Engebretson conducts this chamber choir comprised of a select group of 25 singers associated with the orchestra in residence at Strathmore. The Spring concert features Bach’s motet Der Geist Hilft (“The Spirit Helps Us”), selections from Mozart’s Vespers, a selection of spirituals, plus the songs Eric Whitacre’s “Fly to Paradise,” Jake Runestad’s “We Can Mend the Sky,” and Carly Simon’s “Let the River Run.” Saturday, April 27, at 8 p.m. Christ Episcopal Church, 107 South Washington St., Rockville. Free, but donations in support of the Community Ministries of Rockville requested. Call 301-762-2191 or visit www.christchurchrockville.org.

NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA W/SEONG-JIN CHO

Cho, a young piano virtuoso the Los Angeles Times heralds as being “on the threshold of a major career,” headlines a lively all-French program with the NSO, led by music director Gianandrea Noseda, focused on Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G, a work inspired by the jazz from 1920s New York and New Orleans. The Rubenstein Family Organ is also put to full, stunning use in a performance of Camille Saint-Saëns’ majestic “Organ” Symphony No. 3. César Franck’s The Accursed Huntsman is also on the bill for three concerts, including a Coffee Concert on Friday, April 26, at 11:30 a.m., featuring à la carte breakfast items available for purchase starting two hours beforehand. The main performances are Thursday, April 25, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, April 27, at 8 p.m., with the Saturday concert offering a free ForeWords discussion beginning at 6:45 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $15 to $109. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

NEW YORK GILBERT AND SULLIVAN PLAYERS: I’VE GOT A LITTLE TWIST

Victorian-era dramatist W. S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan jointly created 14 comic operas, including the masterpieces H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, and The Mikado. This popular New York outfit, leading interpreters of the repertoire, return to the area to perform a twist on the usual cabaret, one in which the timelessness of the comic opera masters shines in rewritten lyrics to their tunes as well as mash-ups with modern-day examples — from Spamalot to Sondheim’s Company — and of course a selection of untouched Gilbert & Sullivan classics. Saturday, May 4, at 7 p.m. The Robert Ames Alden Theatre at the McLean Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave., Mclean, Va. Tickets are $35 to $40. Call 703-790-0123 or visit www.aldentheatre.org.

PATINA MILLER

After making her solo cabaret debut a few years back at the Kennedy Center via Barbara Cook’s Spotlight series, Patina Miller returns for another show, this time at the behest of another towering vocal dame: Renée Fleming through her series VOICES. Though also familiar from her work in film (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 and 2) and TV (CBS’s Madam Secretary), Miller has really made her mark on Broadway, including Sister Act and especially the 2013 revival of Pippin, which garnered her the Tony for Best Actress in a Musical. Expect to hear songs from those shows, plus gospel and pop — perhaps even a nod to the movie, Beaches, which inspired Miller as a little girl. “The scene in the movie where C.C. wants to go to New York and be a Broadway star, that kind of got me curious as to what New York was and what Broadway was,” the South Carolina native told Metro Weekly in 2013. Saturday, April 27, at 7:30 p.m. Terrace Theater. Tickets are $49 to $79. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

PHILHARMONIX

Seven members of two of the world’s best orchestras, the Berlin and Vienna philharmonics, shuck their tuxedos and their inhibitions to perform as a swinging chamber ensemble in a concert presented by Washington Performing Arts in the acoustically rich main hall of Sixth & I Historic Synagogue. The repertoire ranges from Satie to Sting, Brahams’ Hungarian Dances to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” plus a smattering of jazz, klezmer, and Latin pop. Saturday, May 4, at 8 p.m. Sixth & I Historic Synagogue. 600 I St. NW. Tickets are $40. Call 202-408-3100 or visit www.sixthandi.org.

VEVE & THA REBELS & DUPONT BRASS

The Mars Urban Arts Initiative, a creative platform for local artists presented by Washington Performing Arts and supported by the Mars candy empire, presents a double-bill showcase of two ensembles-in-residence. There’s VeVe & Tha Rebels, offering original Afro-folk songs that tell a complex story of discovery and identity through purpose-driven music making, and DuPont Brass, an eight-piece ensemble consisting of many Howard University alum creating an unabashedly soulful mash-up of uplifting styles. Last year, the Brass released two albums and ended its Halftime set with “Enjoy Yourself,” a life-affirming anthem calling on everyone “gay or straight” to “enjoy your life” and “protect your joy.” Saturday, April 27, at 8 p.m. Sixth & I Historic Synagogue. 600 I St. NW. Tickets are $25. Call 202-408-3100 or visit www.sixthandi.org.

WASHINGTON BACH CONSORT: EASTER & ASCENSION ORATORIOS

Artistic Director Dana Marsh leads a concert featuring the magnificent oratorios Johann Sebastian Bach composed honoring two of Christianity’s high holidays and the 40-day period between when Jesus is said to have risen from the dead and when he entered heaven. The organization’s namesake classical composer demonstrated his versatility with these works, juxtaposing the full force of the orchestra and chorus in expressions of unbridled joy with more intimate music conveying Jesus’ sacrifice for humankind. As such, the oratorios highlight the power and range of the consort’s chorus, orchestra, and soloists, the latter of whom include Katelyn G. Aungst, soprano, Sarah Davis Issaelkhoury, mezzo-soprano, and Richard Giarusso, baritone. An hour before the performance comes a free Talking Bach lecture by renowned Bach scholar Dr. Michael Marissen, and afterwards comes a complimentary reception with the artists. Sunday, May 5, at 4 p.m. National Presbyterian Church, 4101 Nebraska Ave. NW. Tickets are $10 to $69. Call 202-429-2121 or visit bachconsort.org.

DANCE

AURA CURIATLAS PHYSICAL THEATRE

Combining dance, theater, and acrobatics, this company of artists focuses on performing original works embodying qualities reflected in its name: lightness, or aura, curiosity, and strength a la Atlas. The Kennedy Center offers a free presentation of the company’s joyful, athletic style and reliance on nonverbal storytelling as part of its Millennium Stage programming. The focus is on AC’s show Dream Logic. Thursday, May 2, at 6 p.m. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

CHRISTOPHER K. MORGAN & ARTISTS

The executive artistic director of Dance Place next presents — as well as performs with — his namesake contemporary troupe in its second annual season performance as a resident company of the arts venue and Brookland neighborhood anchor. The mixed repertory program serves as a showcase of the Hawaiian native’s expressive, precise works in choreography, including the premiere of On Defen(c)e, which examines concepts of origins, migration, and the lingering impact of the past — intentional and otherwise — as we set about to move forward. This new work will also feature the debut of several company dancers, while Washington Ballet dancers Lucy Nevin, Ashley Murphy-Wilson, and Maki ONuki join for a special collaborative performance of Morgan’s 2014 work In the Cold Room, with live accompaniment by electric cellist Wytold performing his original score. Morgan himself will perform his acclaimed solo Rice to round out the program. Saturday, April 27, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, April 28, at 7 p.m. Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Theater, 3225 8th St. NE. Tickets are $25 to $30. Call 202-269-1600 or visit www.danceplace.org.

JANE FRANKLIN DANCE: COMPLETE DOGNESS

Barky is a dog with bad habits who learns new tricks in this family-friendly work from choreographer Jane Franklin’s local dance troupe incorporating spoken word, imaging and animation by Hong Huo, and interactive participatory activities for young children, along with movement and music. A quartet of female dancers — Andie deVaulx, Kelsey Rohr, Brynna Shank, Rebecca Weiss — perform some gymnastic style moves as they work to bring to life the dog’s tale, complete with dog sounds of barking, whining, and growling. John Kamman and David Schulman provide proper musical accompaniment. Saturday, April 27, and May 4, at 4 p.m. Theatre on the Run, 3700 South Four Mile Run Dr. Arlington. Tickets are $10 to $15, or $45 for a family of four. Call 703-933-1111 or visit www.janefranklin.com.

LUCKY PLUSH PRODUCTIONS: ROOMING HOUSE

A MacArthur Award-winning dance company from Chicago makes its Kennedy Center debut with an insightful and surprisingly humorous dance/theater “whodunit,” one that marries intimate conversations among friends with the tragic myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. A creation of Lucky Plush artistic director Julia Rhoads and frequent collaborator Leslie Buxbaum Danzig, Rooming House features the company’s signature style of layered choreography, palpable liveness, and socially relevant storytelling. The work pursues the question: What makes a person do something that could lead to shattering and irreparable consequences? Thursday, May 2, Saturday, May 4, at 7:30 p.m. Terrace Theater. Tickets are $39. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

READINGS & DISCUSSIONS

DUSTIN LANCE BLACK

Next week, Knopf will publish Mama’s Boy: A Story from Our Americas, a stirring memoir from the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Milk who also helped lead the fight a decade ago to overturn California’s anti-gay marriage Proposition 8. Above all, Black’s behind-the-scenes look into his life, work, and activism shines a light on the woman who most inspired him: His mother, who defied doctors’ expectations as a child survivor of severe polio, went on to break free from two abusive marriages, and eventually chose to support her gay son rather than give in to the anti-gay teachings of her Mormon faith. Thursday, May 2, at 7 p.m. Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. Call 202-364-1919 or visit www.politics-prose.com.

 

ART & EXHIBITS

IN PEAK BLOOM: SEASONAL CELEBRATION

ArTecHouse celebrates spring and women in the arts and sciences with its annual cherry blossom-inspired exhibition featuring five interactive and immersive digital art installations inspired by the beautiful yet fleeting blossoms and all from women artists or women-led collectives. The Main Gallery features Hana Fubuki, Akiko Yamashita’s immersive installation developed with Sachiko Yamashita and Mikitype combining the woodblock print techniques of traditional Ukiyo-e art with 3D animations and interactive technology bringing the landscape to life. Secondary galleries are set up with Lisa Park’s Blooming, powered by biometric sensors, Scenocosme’s Akousmaflore an interactive small garden composed of living musical plants that react to gentle contact by producing specific sounds, and Design Foundry’s Enchanted Garden (2019), composed of a mix of natural and recycled artistic mediums to serve as a respite. And as ever, the Mezzanine Bar becomes an AR Cocktail Bar with II Sakaba, serving blossom-inspired, AR-enhanced cocktails and mocktails. Now to May 27. ArTecHouse, 1238 Maryland Ave. SW. Tickets range from $8 to $20. visit www.artechouse.com.

MASH UP: PYRAMID’S ANNUAL MEMBERS’ EXHIBITION

An unconventional spin on Pyramid Atlantic’s annual juried show, Mash Up is completely uncurated, allowing member artists to exhibit works of their choice provided they abide by the only restriction: that they are not larger than 30 inches on any side. Over 80 artists, or about one third of the organization’s membership, responded, and the resulting show lives up to the its title, offering a blend of styles, mediums, and price points, with all works “hung riotously” throughout the gallery. Prizes and bragging rights will be granted to works deemed “Founder’s Choice,” “Craftsmanship,” and “The Popular Vote.” Opening Reception is Friday, April 26, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. On display to May 26. 4318 Gallatin St., Hyattsville, Md. Call 301-608-9101 or visit www.pyramidatlanticartcenter.org.

ORCHIDS: AMAZING ADAPTATIONS

Right now, the Smithsonian Gardens offers an attractive alternative to Washington’s cherry blossom madness with the 24th annual orchid show. And unlike those fickle, fleeting cherry trees, you don’t have to wait for, or make last-minute arrangements to see, the hundreds of orchids in brilliant bloom as part this joint collaboration with the U.S. Botanic Garden. From now through the end of April you can see the stunning variety of orchids filling eight large marble planters in the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard, nestled between the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery in the former Old Patent Office Building complex. For optimal viewing, officials recommend you visit either as soon as the courtyard opens at 11:30 a.m., in hopes of catching the whiff that orchids give off to attract pollinators in the morning, or in the hour or two before it closes at 7 p.m., when there should be fewer people and more chances of catching an orchid bloom popping open. To April 28. 8th and G Streets NW. Free. Call 202-633-2220 or visit www.gardens.si.edu.

PERFUME & SEDUCTION

The captivating evolution of perfume bottles and accessories from the 18th through the mid-20th centuries is told through the display of nearly 150 pieces, those taken from Hillwood’s collection as well as from Givaudan, the Swiss manufacturer of fragrances and cosmetics. Complementing the exhibition are a “scented suite of workshops.” On display to June 9. Hillwood Estate, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. Suggested donation is $18. Call 202-686-5807 or visit www.HillwoodMuseum.org.

RAFAEL LOZANO-HEMMER: PULSE EXHIBITION

In its largest interactive technology exhibition to date, the Hirshhorn Museum gives over its entire second level to a Mexican-Canadian artist known for straddling the line between art, technology, and design. In his D.C. debut, Lozano-Hemmer fills the museum with immersive environments using fingerprints and heart-rate sensors to create kinetic and audiovisual experiences from visitors’ own biometric data. These intimate “snapshots” of electrical activity are then added to a live archive of prior recordings to create an environment of syncopated rhythms — all in a new way of looking at biometry that represents both anonymity and community. To April 28. Hirshhorn Museum, Independence Avenue and Seventh Street SW. Call 202-633-1000 or visit hirshhorn.si.edu.

SECTION 14: THE OTHER PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA

Before it became a gay desert mecca and a resort for the rich and famous, Palm Springs was a desert outpost — as well as home to the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation. The National Museum of the American Indian shines a light on a land battle in Palm Springs, yet another in a long string of conflicts between western expansion and Indigenous peoples’ rights. The focus is on Section 14, a one-square-mile tract in downtown Palm Springs that forms the heart of the reservation. The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians created the exhibition, which was organized by the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum. On display through Jan. 2020. National Museum of the American Indian, Independence Avenue at 4th Street SW. Call 202-633-1000 or visit www.nmai.si.edu.

TARGET GALLERY’S 2019 EMERGING ARTISTS

The contemporary exhibition space in Alexandria’s Torpedo Factory Art Center is championing up-and-coming regional artists in its annual exhibition series. Four stylistically diverse artists were selected by a jury panel to be featured in the second year: Kate Gorman, Kim Sandara, Madeline A. Stratton, and Sean Sweeney. The artists and the members of the exhibition’s jury panel — Adah Rose Bitterbaum of Adah Rose Gallery, Philippa Hughes of the Pink Line Project, and Dawne Langford of Quota — will take part in a discussion on Thursday, May 2, at 6:30 p.m. On view through June 5. Target Gallery, 105 North Union St. Alexandria. Free. Call 703-838-4565 or visit www.torpedofactory.org.

THEN/AGAIN: DCAC GALLERY EXHIBITION 30 YEARS LATER

A showing of contemporary work from nine of the 16 artists from the inaugural show at the District of Columbia Arts Center, which opened to great hype in the wake of controversy and outrage over the Corcoran’s cancelling of the Mapplethorpe exhibition the week before. Presented as part of a celebration of DCAC’s 30th anniversary, the exhibition, curated by Philip Barlow and Pat Goslee, includes work by David Emerick, Lida Husik, Jenny Jenkins, Sherwin Mark, Darrow Montgomery, Fredrick Nunley, Michael Platt, Beverly Ress, and Greg Staley. On display to April 28, when it closes with an Artist/Curator Talk & Reception. 2438 18th St. NW. Call 202-462-7833 or visit www.dcartscenter.org.

TODD G. FRANSON

A few memorable photos that you may remember from covers of this very magazine — Jim Graham as Elizabeth Taylor’s Cleopatra, say, or the infamous Leather Kewpie for MAL — will be on display as part of the latest exhibition at the DC Center for the LGBT Community, all from Franson, Metro Weekly‘s central portrait photographer for most of the past 23 years as well as the magazine’s longest-serving Art Director. Yet the focus is on artworks the professional photographer and graphic designer has created for other projects and pursuits, all of which are available for sale. The exhibition goes as far back as Franson’s days as a student at the Savannah College of Art and Design, with four stylized gloves from the series Wear & Tear: Inspired by Irving Penn, newly reborn and printed on aluminum. A more recent passion of Franson’s has been capturing artistic shots of foliage, blooms, and landscapes at the National Arboretum. And then there are the dazzling and quirky photographs that come closest to conveying Franson’s personal sensibility — perhaps none more so than Dancing Bear, a vividly colored image of a bustling amusement park at dusk foregrounded by a giant-sized teddy bear wearing a propeller beanie. Ongoing. The Center Arts Gallery, 2000 14th St. NW. Call 202-682-2245 or visit www.thedccenter.org.

FOOD & DRINK

NATIONAL CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL: ROOFTOP ROSÉ PARTY

You might have thought the city’s big spring to-do was a total wrap now that all the major events have come and gone — as have the pink-hued blooms that give the festival its name in the first place. But there’s still one more festival-related event, this second annual party at District Winery. With tastings of a variety of the venue’s wines, pink and otherwise, offerings from the food menu, and live entertainment, it all takes place on the venue’s wraparound second-floor terrace with sweeping views of the Anacostia River. Presented in two three-hour sessions, starting at noon and 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 28. 385 Water St. SE. Tickets are $59 to $69 including food and three drink tickets, plus an additional $15 for a bottle of rosé to take home. Call 202-484-9210 or visit www.districtwinery.com. www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org for more information.

TASTE OF 8TH

Over 20 restaurants in the Barracks Row area of Capitol Hill centered on 8th Street SE will serve appetizer-sized samples of their newest or most popular dishes. It’s all an annual promotion and fundraiser for the Barracks Row Main Street organization. Venues participating this year include: Ambar, Belga Cafe, Betsy, Brick Lane, The Brig, Cava Mezze, Chat’s Liquors, DCanter, District Doughnut, Finn McCool’s, Las Placitas, Lavagna, matchbox, Medium Rare, Nooshi Sushi, Ophelia’s, The Orchid, Spring Mill Bread, Souk, Sushi Hachi, Sushi Torai, Sweet Lobby, Ted’s Bulletin, Tortuga Caribbean Bar & Grille, Trattoria Alberto, and Valor. Saturday, April 29, from 1 to 4 p.m. A pack of 5 tasting tickets cost $25. Visit www.barracksrow.org.

ABOVE & BEYOND

ANNUAL RUNNING OF THE CHIHUAHUAS

Billed as “D.C.’s funniest Cinco de Mayo celebration,” this year’s 8th annual race, planned for the day before the actual Mexican holiday, offers the unexpected joy of seeing 128 Chihuahuas, competing in groups of eight, on a 60-foot “race track.” Don’t worry: You won’t have to squint to see all the little doggies compete for the crown as Fastest Chihuahua in D.C. — which comes complete with an official championship trophy — as the action will be captured on a huge video wall. Anyone with their own personal Chihuahua can register Mr. Chalupa for the race in advance, or until all spots are full, at $30 per dog. No doubt a few overly competitive human handlers will take the whole to-do seriously instead of enjoying it as the pure feel-good, do-good experience it is, with all proceeds benefiting Rural Dog Rescue, which works to save canines from high-kill rural shelters. It’s a win-win kind of event for everyone, and every dog, too, whether they’re Chihuahuas, Xoloitzcuintlis, non-Mexican breeds, even all-American mutts. Indeed, all fur babies can compete in the contest for the day’s best-dressed dog. There will also be pet-friendly vendors, a Beer Garden serving cold Mexican beers, food kiosks, a Dance Party with live music after the races, and more family fun. Saturday, May 4, from 1 to 5 p.m. District Pier at the Wharf, 101 District Square SW. Free. Visit www.cincodc.com for more information.

AROUND THE WORLD EMBASSY TOUR

Every year more than 40 embassies open their doors to visitors to show off their impressive edifices and especially to showcase their cultural and culinary traditions, artifacts, and eccentricities. Organized by the Cultural Tourism DC nonprofit coalition, the 2019 lineup includes the embassies of Afghanistan, the African Union, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Korea, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Oman, Peru, the Philippines, South Africa, and Turkey. Saturday, May 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free, no tickets required, though government-issued photo ID recommended. Call 202-355-4280 or visit www.culturaltourismdc.org.

AWESOME CON, PRIDE ALLEY

A celebration of geek-dom, from comic books to movies to video games, and its influence on today’s pop culture, D.C.’s annual comic-con offers three days of costume contests, gaming tournaments, trivia, kid-centric activities, an Awesome Con Short Film Fest, and talks with a whole galaxy of celebrities, comics, scientists, and science-fiction stars. Highlights among the many featured guests this year: Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride), Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk), Val Kilmer (Batman Forever), Ralph Macchio (The Karate Kid), John Barrowman (Doctor Who), Kate Flannery (The Office), Tom Payne (The Walking Dead), Milo Ventimiglia (This is Us), Mary McDonnell (Battlestar Galactica), Michael Biehn (Terminator), Matt Smith (Doctor Who), Anthony Michael Hall (The Breakfast Club), Susan Egan (Disney’s Beauty and the Beast on Broadway), Brent Spiner (Star Trek), KJ Apa and Cole Sprouse (Riverdale), and Grammy-winning pop parodist par excellence “Weird Al” Yankovic. The LeftField Media-produced event, which attracted over 71,000 participants to last year’s sixth annual outing, has unsurprisingly been a draw for the LGBTQ community since its inception. The popularity has only increased in the past few years with the launch of Pride Alley and programming specifically geared to gaymers curated by Geeks OUT, organizers of New York’s LGBTQ-focused Flame Con. Friday, April 26, from 12 to 8 p.m., Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, April 28, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place NW. Tickets are $40 to $55 for a single-day entry or $80 for a three-day pass; VIP passes ranging from $150 to $574.99 are also available. Call 202-249-3000 or visit www.awesome-con.com.

GEORGETOWN FRENCH MARKET

More than 35 boutique shops, antique stores, restaurants, salons, and galleries in Georgetown’s Book Hill area participate in the 16th annual open-air market and sidewalk sale, where merchants offer up to 75-percent off their wares and restaurants and cafes present special French fare, from sweet and savory crepes, grilled merguez sausages, pastries, and macarons. The Georgetown Business Improvement District (BID) presents the affair, intended to evoke the outdoor markets of Paris. All throughout you’ll find whimsical street performers, face painters, a caricature artist, and live French music and gypsy jazz. Plus, the first 250 people who drop by the Georgetown BID tent in the TD Bank lot (16111 Wisconsin Ave. NW) both weekend days will receive a free beret and will be entered to win tickets to Cirque du Soleil’s Volta. Friday, April 26, and Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, April 28, from 12 to 5 p.m. Wisconsin Avenue between O Street and Reservoir Road. Visit www.georgetownfrenchmarketdc.com.

INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE DAY 2019 & DC BOOKSTORE CRAWL

Nearly every brick-and-mortar bookstore you can think of will put their own spin on this fifth-annual national celebration this Saturday, April 27, with exclusive, one-day-only offerings ranging from special events and performances to unique literary items and promotions. And this year ushers in DC’s Bookstore Crawl, offering further discounts, including 20-percent-off select purchases — plus buy-one-get-one-free drinks at Peregrine Espresso locations — at the 10 participating merchants: Busboys & Poets, East City Bookshop, Kramerbooks & Afterwords, Loyalty, Politics and Prose Bookstore & Coffeehouse, Solid State Books, Capitol Hill Books, Potter’s House, Bridge Street Books, and Walls of Books. Visit www.dcbookstoreday.com for more details.

LA-TI-DO

Billed as “Where Spoken Word and Musical Theatre Collide,” this presenting organization showcases local talent regularly on select Monday nights at Bistro Bistro in Dupont Circle. Yet as good as every performance at that venue is, none of them quite compares to the special Saturday show planned for the first weekend in May — at the city’s preeminent performing arts center. All the more so since the Kennedy Center engagement is free, as part of the complex’s nightly Millennium Stage programming. Saturday, May 4, at 6 p.m. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

LIVING EARTH FESTIVAL

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian hosts its annual festival bringing together Native innovators and practitioners dedicated to using Indigenous knowledge to protect and sustain the environment. With the theme “Farm to Table: Sustaining Our Future Through Indigenous Knowledge,” this year’s event highlights Indigenous contributions to sustainable farming, touching on topics including business practices, land separation, sovereignty, seed preservation, health, and education. The festival kicks off with a panel discussion and a screening of Karen Cantor’s 2018 documentary Return, about Native American women reclaiming traditional foodways to improve their communities’ well-being, on Friday, April 26, at 6:30 p.m. in the museum’s Rasmuson Theater. Demonstrations, lectures, and cultural performances in the Potomac Atrium and throughout the museum on Saturday, April 27, and Sunday, April 28, will highlight everything from the Lummi Nation’s work in saving salmon to the Chickasaw Nation’s work with Bedré Fine Chocolate. Also during opening hours both days — 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. — will be hands-on activities and storytelling for children. The festival concludes on Sunday, April 28, at 3 p.m., with “Conversations with the Chefs” in the Rasmuson Theater, featuring Mitsitam Cafe chef Freddie Bitsoie (Diné) and Sioux Chef Sean Sherman (Oglala Lakota), who will also sign copies of his 2018 James Beard Award-winning book The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen. Independence Avenue at 4th Street SW. Call 202-633-1000 or visit www.nmai.si.edu.

MAY THE 4TH: AN OUTER SPACE DANCE PARTY

On Saturday, May 4, sometimes known as Star Wars Day, local DJ company Scorpio Entertainment plans to transform the historic Terminal A Lobby at Washington National Airport into a spaceship-inspired cosmic dance party. Guests are encouraged to dress for the theme, with supplemental glow wear provided. In addition to music by DJ Edward Daniels and live entertainment by Baltimore’s hula hoop performer Zbu Hoopism and D.C.’s juggler Christian Kloc, this #Maythe4thDC party will feature an open bar, views of the runway, a Hot Pink Photo Booth, social media projection wall, a galactic LED light show, and the possibility of a surprise “real-life Sharknado moment above the crowd,” to quote Daniels, the company’s founding director, a native of rural southern Virginia who, incidentally enough, got his start in the area by hosting karaoke at Freddie’s Beach Bar. Party starts with a Twilight Pre-Show at 7 p.m. before Blast-Off at 8 p.m. Tickets are $65, with partial proceeds benefiting the local shelter and homeless-helping nonprofit Change for Good, Inc. Call 202-536-4495 or visit www.Maythe4thDC.com for more information.

SMITHSONIAN CRAFT SHOW

Touted as the most prestigious juried show and sale of American contemporary fine craft, the 37th annual event, presented by the Smithsonian Women’s Committee, features 120 of the field’s leading artists. All facets of contemporary design and jewelry are represented, including wearable art, basketry, furniture, glass, leather, and mixed media. Joyce J. Scott is this year’s recipient of the Smithsonian Visionary Artist Award in recognition of the Baltimore native’s work using off-loom hand-threaded beads and blown glass to create jewelry pieces as well as figurative sculptures and wall hangings. Scott will be the focus of a “Convo with the Visionary” session and Q&A led by Stephanie Stebich of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, on Thursday, April 25, at 6 p.m. Proceeds from sales go toward funding research at the Smithsonian’s 28 institutions, from its museums on the mall to the National Zoo. Thursday, April 25, from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., including a Friends Night Out after-hours event starting at 5 p.m. with snacks and a cash bar, Friday, April 26, through Saturday, April 27, from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Sunday, April 28, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Daily admission is $20, or $17 purchased online in advance; the Convo with the Visionary session is $45 and includes all day Thursday admission and one complimentary drink. Call 202-272-2448 or visit www.smithsoniancraftshow.org.

TEAM DC’S SPRING CASINO NIGHT

Local LGBTQ athletic-supporting and social sports-boosting outfit Team DC offers gambling-for-fun fundraising events several times a year that benefit a rotating roster of local sports teams and social organizations, whose members serve as croupiers at tables offering poker, blackjack, and craps. Proceeds from the chips used to play at the tables will be split among the teams, and not, to be clear, among the gambling patrons themselves. That said, a patron’s remaining chips at the end of the night do offer chances for winnings — specifically raffle prizes, including tickets to the theater or sporting events, and gift cards. And even if you don’t win a thing, you also won’t lose a penny beyond the $10 donation for the chips. “Casino Night gives you all of the pleasure and none of the harsh debt that comes with [actual] gambling,” laughs Team DC’s Brent Minor. The Spring 2019 affair is co-hosted by the Capital Tennis Association, the DC Strokes Rowing Club, DC Different Drummers, and Federal Triangles Soccer Club. There will also be food and drink specials. Saturday, April 27, from 8 p.m. to midnight. Buffalo Billiards, 1330 19th St. NW. Cover donation is $10. Visit www.teamdc.org.

THE ASK RAYCEEN SHOW

Rayceen Pendarvis moderates the annual #AskRayceen Community Forum, plus performances by female a cappella group SongRise, a fashion show by Society of Fat Mermaids, music by DJ Suspence, with a cash bar, vendors, and exhibitors. Wednesday, May 1, from 6 to 9:30 p.m. HRC Equality Center, 1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Free. Call 202-628-4160 or visit www.askrayceen.com.

WASHINGTON NATIONAL CATHEDRAL: FLOWER MART 2019

Since 1939, Washingtonians have flocked to the city’s grand neo-gothic edifice the first weekend in May in a nod to Spring. A plethora of plants and flowers are on display as well as for sale, with proceeds benefiting the organization All Hallows’ Guild, responsible for the upkeep of the cathedral’s beautiful gardens and grounds. Yet the greenery alone isn’t what draws thousands of people to the historic 59 acres in Cathedral Heights. There’s also the gifts, collectibles, and food available from local artisans and vendors set up at over 70 booths. Add to that the garden tours, gargoyle walks, and many games and activities for children, most notably riding the Guild’s historic carousel dating to 1890. And of course people come to visit the nave — decked out in an International Floral Display by area embassies — and/or to climb to the top of the Cathedral for a bird’s eye view of the city. (Tower Climb tickets are $20 to $25.) There’s also the option of a Taste in the Tower seated luncheon in the South Tower. (Advance reservations are $35 per person.) Live music will also be performed throughout. Friday, May 3, and Saturday, May 4, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Call 202-537-2937 or visit www.allhallowsguild.org.